Thursday
Oct182007
First Day Driving
Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 4:46PM 
I know it's a cliché, but they really do grow up too fast.
Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 4:46PM I know it's a cliché, but they really do grow up too fast.
Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 4:46PM I know it's a cliché, but they really do grow up too fast.
Original content released under a Creative Commons License - CC BY-NC-SA
Reader Comments (23)
You're gonna be one of those parents who puts a GPS tracker on her car, aren't you?
In New York it's only twenty hours. I think I'd prefer it to be fifty, though. Good luck, Leo.
I know. My only child started Kindergarten this year!
Shoot, yes they grow up fast. I can even remember seeing Abby on Screen Savers as a wee one.
Ah, I also did same for the oldest son, but, in the process, I damaged the clutch plate, in trying remember how to drive a stick shift transmission, after 20 years of driving a automatic transmission. Very expensive lessons... Now, Hawaii requires the hours to be under the supervision of qualified instructors. How times changes..........
Geez, I'm gonna take my first test this week.!
Hope i pass.! The,bad part is the written test. good luck abby.!
Whoa! That's Abby? They sure do grow up fast. I remember meeting her at your first signing in Santa Clara. She was so young, glasses and all! :)
You're right about that Leo. My son is 12 and he is already claiming my Explorer as his when he gets is permit...and 3 years is going to go by faster then I can imagine. Happy instructing!
Leo,
I've been there with two step sons. My wife didn't have the patience, but I do.
It's good to start with a car with automatic, but I believe in also teaching manual transmission. It's still important to know how to drive both and the oldest actually prefers a manual now.
I used a number of school parking lots on weekends to start and graduated to the street.
I do also recommend using a professional class as well.
Good luck Leo and Jennifer!
In Australia, well at least NSW, kids are required to do 120 hours these days. With at least 20 of those at night time!
Good luck teaching her, teaching someone to drive is nearly as hard as learning to drive, and just as scary.
Sad but happy occasion.
Yikes.. It was only 25 hours in IL when I got my license.
Btw.. Leo.. I know a couple of people have mentioned it in passing, but make sure Abby learns how to drive a manual transmission. She may never own one, but it's a good skill to have. Heck, if my girlfriend would have learned, she wouldn't have had to prey that her car would get her to IL and back when her mom was in the hospital, she could have taken mine as I only drive like 2 miles to work.
So is that a van you have that she's driving?
-A
Love the DOF shot. Abby looks very serious, concentrating. On an aside, I was watching a recent LWL tonight on my laptop and they were going over neat gadgets and there was the one that was a bike water bottle ipod thingy. Leo says something like "oh, it's a water bottle!" or something. The way he said it, it made me think of the movie A Christmas Story where the father opens his Christmas present and goes "oh, it's a BOWLING balllllllll". The voices (to me) sounded so much the same. It got me on a mental tangent where I was thinking wouldn't it be funny for Leo And The Gang to a parody of A Christmas Story. Leo could be the dad... who could be Ralphie... Kevin Rose? Sean? Just ignore me, my brain is in overdrive today. =:D
I swear it was just yesterday that my neice was 2 1/2. I woke up this morning and she was already driving!
They do grow-up fast, don't they? It's even worse for me, I think, because I'm observing all my friend's and family's kids growing up -- as I don't have any of my own.
And soon they will be driving too fast, probaby to get away from parents.
Hi Leo,
We started teaching my oldest this past July. IL just changed the law to 50 hours. Plus, they want to change so the 50 hours are over 9 months.
Have fun.
Thanks for all the great shows.
Leo,
One thing to keep in mind is that your wife and you are the one's who decide when your daughter is experienced enough to get her drivers license, not the state driving regulations. Living in a city with notoriously congested and dangerous traffic (Atlanta, GA) we chose to have our 2 sons keep their learners permits until they were 18. It was not a popular decision, but we were are much more confident (they were as well) in their driving skills at age 18 than when they were 16.
Good luck!
jforbes
Oh, I remember getting behind the wheel the first time - quite a rush! I was thrilled! Make sure you teach her the basic parts of the engine and how to change a tire - that info has come in VERY handy over the years. (Thanks Dad! ;-) )
Well, I'm happy here in Greece they don't get to drive until they are 18, and then only with a driving instructor until they pass the driving test!
Nothing like the good old day when you just went down the cop shop drove around the block and BAM you had your license.
I remember seeing her on Call for Help, I think it was Bring your Daughter to Work Day. We all grow up too fast.
Nice to see one of your teens learning to drive, btw she looks really nice behind that steering wheel.
Good luck with that!